Then what prevents

-?-O horrid, horrid thought!

To what new trials is Albina brought !

Do thou, O God!' (exclaims the wretched fair)

Snatch me, in mercy, from this last despair! • Let inftant death attend by thy command, And ftop a mother's facrilegious hand: Take back, thyfelf, his yet untainted breath, Nor let Albina's crimes be multiplied in death!" Forth from her tortur'd breast proceeds one figh, And one big tear rolls flowly from each eye, As, fudden rifing with uplifted hands, O'er the sweet babe in fix'd despair fhe ftands, His fleeping beauty once again to view,

Ere

yet fhe bids the world and him adieu ! Then, turning quick, with half-averted eyes, To the cold bofom of the river flies ;

And, plunging headlong, vainly hopes to find
Eternal refpite for her wounded mind.

Th' aftonish'd earl, who this fad fcene had view'd,

With swifteft fteps the flying fair purfu'd;

But, ah! too late he reach'd the river's fide,
Her form was funk beneath the closing tide.

Yet ftill Earl Elwin o'er the margin bent,
And ey'd the circling flood with looks intent;
Till, in the midft, the bubbling liquid rofe,
As if to mourn the hapless fair-one's woes ;
And inftant, on it's lucid bofom bore
Albina's floating form towards the fhore;
Then with an out-ftretch'd arm effay'd to reach
The finking fair, and draw her to the beach:
But ftill too diftant from the river's fide,
Again the finks beneath the clofing tide!
Now, in despair, he rolls his anxious eyes,

Till up, again, he fees the bubbles rife ;

Again beholds Albina's form appear,

And finds the friendly flood has brought her near:
With eager joy then stretches forth his hand,
And trembling drags his welcome prize to land.
Long tried the earl each life-renewing aid,
No vital spark his fearching eyes furvey'd ;
No flow pulfation lab'ring in her veins,
No glow of life to recompenfe his pains:

The chilling ftream had check'd life's crimfon tide,
And the rais'd arm dropp'd lifeless by her fide!
Hopeless to fave-unwilling to refrain-

Each life-renewing art he tries again;
And oft to Heav'n uplifts his fpeaking eyes,
As from his heart the warm petition flies.

At length, a gleam of hope revives his frame:
He feels or thinks he feels-the vital flame!
Cold, fhudd'ring fits, her gentle breast convulse,
And life, returning, throbs in ev'ry pulse;
Her languid eyes, flow-opening, meet the light,
And inftant lofe, again, the pow'r of fight;
The refluent blood each former channel feeks,

And the warm glow of life fpreads mantling o'er her cheeks.
Now the keen anguifh of Albina's pains,

Wakes ev'ry nerve, and fpreads thro' all her veins.
She groans-she raves-fhe heaves her lab'ring breaft-
Gnashes her teeth-and madly grafps her veft!-
Then, in a moment, quite compos'd appears,
And drowns each feature in a flood of tears.
While o'er th' afflicted fair Earl Elwin kneels,
And for each pang an equal anguish feels;
Sudden he hears, among the distant trees,
The vacant mufick of a mind at ease:
And while he liftens with attentive ears,
Full in his view the jocund fwain appears.
Soon as the earl's extended arm he fpies,
Swift down the steep the sturdy peafant flies.

Inftructed

Inftructed now, refumes an equal speed,

And darts like lightning cross the neighb’ring mead,
To where a little farm's neat mansion stood,
Hard by the border of Earl Elwin's wood:
Thence quick returning, with a fellow-fwain,
They bear Albina gently o'er the plain.
Clofe by her fide the earl himself attends,
Directs their courfe, and kind affiftance lends;
Nor in his fondling arms difdains to bear
The lovely offspring of the wretched fair.

By flow degrees, and with their labour warm,
They reach at length the hospitable farm ;
Where the good dame exerts her utmost care,
In due attention to the haplefs fair.
Meanwhile the earl for his phyfician fends,
And waits the tedious hour till he attends :
Nor quits Albina, till from him he learns,
No fatal fymptom his best skill discerns;
Then lets all know he will their cares repay,
And homeward bends his folitary way.

-From fcenes of forrow turn we now our eyes,
To where Augufta's tow'ring fanes arise:
From scenes where Vice, dejected, fhuns the day,
To where the flaunts it in the folar ray.

The gay Lothario here his dwelling chofe,
Before he fail'd to meet his country's foes;
In tented fields to purchase deathless fame,
And raise the honours of an ancient name.
Forgot each precept good Ernefto taught,
His bofom freed from ev'ry anxious thought;
Where Pleasure leads, he follows in the train,
Nor fees how falfe her arts-her joys how vain!
With Wit, mifnam'd, he drains the spicy bowl,
Nor fears the drug that ennervates his foul;
With wanton beauty fpends the laughing hours,
Nor fees the latent thorn beneath the flow'rs;

With defp'rate wretches joins in fatal play,
And lets his fortune be the villain's prey:
Nor does the thought of poor Albina's woes,
Amidft his mad career, once interpofe.

While thus the recreant youth his time employs,
In wafteful pleasures, and unhallow'd joys;
Surpriz'd he reads the following ftern command,
Nor fcarce can hold it in his trembling hand.

Return, Lothario, by the morning's light; • Or never meet, again, thy injur'd father's fight !"

Late as it was, he mounts his fleetest steed,
And flies to Elwin Hall with utmost speed:
For well he knew the earl brook'd no delay,
And fear-not duty-taught him to obey.

Arriv'd-Lothario now the earl attends,
And on his knee with due fubmiffion bends;
Implores forgiveness, if his youth has err'd-
Enquires the crime-begs his defence be heard-
Nor fears (fo great his art, fo fmall his fhame)-
To clear each blot, and vindicate his fame.

'Tis faid, Lothario,' (thus the earl began,
By fhew of doubt to hide his settled plan)
• That old Ernefto's daughter, whom you know
Was chafte as ice, and fair as drifted fnow,

• Some nine months fince, by too much love betray'd,
Fell in the fnare defigning Vice had laid!

Awhile, 'tis faid, the bafe affaffin ftrove
To calm her griefs, infulting her with love:
Till now, her growing fhame, fo long conceal'd,
• The villain knew, muft quickly be reveal'd;

• Unmindful of his vows, he quits the fair,
• Frantick with grief, the victim of despair!
• But ftill Albina's yet unspotted name
Efcap'd the tainting breath of bufy Fame;

• Till

• Till yefter' morn, unable to sustain
The load of woes attendant on her pain,
Her new-born babe with fainting steps fhe bore,
To where the Ifis laves her fertile fhore;
And ere affiftance could arrive to fave,
Defp'rate fhe plung'd in the o'erwhelming wave!
The child yet lives and, as I mean to fhew
• How much I fhare in good Ernefto's woe,
Severe refentment fhall the father feel,

• And every wound he gave I'll ftrive to heal.

Now, look, Lothario, that you answer true;
These are the crimes the wretch, they fay, is you?'
Spite of the lye the perjur'd villain fpeaks,"
The dew of nature damps his bloodless cheeks,
As, with unmatch'd audacity, he cries,

Within the confcious breaft no fears arife!

• Once-let me own !-I thought Albina's charms
Might richly fill the proudest monarch's arms;
And ftill, ftill more, my inexperienc'd youth,

• Admir'd her feeming virtue, love, and truth.
'Caught in the fnare, I woo'd her to my fide,
And meant to ask her as my future bride :

But foon, in foreign courts, I learn'd to know
The fex's arts-and fmil'd at fancied woe;
Returning, view'd her with a brother's fight,
And faw each action in it's proper light.
A fecret something ftruggling in her breast,
The ftifled figh, and tear in vain repress'd;
Spoke plain as language, that the faithless fair
'Was now unworthy of Earl Elwin's heir.
'I left her then-nor think I aught of blame
Can juftly light on my much-injur'd fame!

Her end I mourn - forgive thefe flowing tears< Shrouded in death, her crime no more appears: • Time will unveil the myft'ry of her fate!" Nor let, till then, Lothario feel thy hate.'